A company spokesman said: "The development will meet the needs of the local population by providing a range of homes, from one-bedroom apartments up to five-bedroom family houses. This will cater for a range of households, from young professionals through to growing families and older members of the community who wish to downsize.

"The development will be sensitive to the natural surroundings and wildlife with large areas of habitat land. Trees are being retained and incorporated within the wider landscaping where possible, while any areas that provide natural habitats to local wildlife will remain unspoilt and better managed to encourage biodiversity."

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Newcastle Borough Council has approved the plans to demolish buildings on The Hawthorns site to make way for the housing development, a shop and a drop-off point for St John’s Primary School.

The Hawthorns, Keele University

Parish councillor Robin Studd, aged 75, of The Village, said: “I am pleased with what I have heard from Seddon and what has happened. I think the architecture of the houses could have been more imaginative and that they appeal to the lowest common denominator. This is a beautiful area and houses would sell anyway.”

Neighbour George Blake, aged 24, of The Village, said: “Seddon has done and said all the right things about how it is going to manage the development. There is a genuine commitment not to tear the place to shreds in the most destructive way.

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"But that does not take away from the fact that it will be a crying shame that there will no longer be any students living in Keele village.

“We fought tooth and nail for this not to happen so it is sad there will be a separation between Keele University and Keele as a village."

Hawthorns halls of residence, Keele University

Rebecca Bowler, aged 32, of Highway Lane, said: “I am relieved the works lorries are not going to be using Highway Lane or Keele Road. It seems like Seddon has listened to the residents and the parish council.”

The development comes as the university wants to increase number of rooms on its campus by around 1,400 to 4,330 and build three teaching blocks dedicated to music, medicine and post-graduates.

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The £150 million scheme includes bulldozing 873 student rooms and replacing them with 30 new halls of residence with 2,346 new rooms. It involves demolishing parts of Barnes Hall, Horwood Hall and Lindsay Hall.

Sam Gibbons, aged 22, who is the activities and community officer at Keele University Students' Union, said: “It is a shame that three-quarters of the trees will be going but most of the large ones and the oaks are staying. It looks like they will be fencing off the remaining trees during the building work so there is no problem with that.”